New York|Cuomo Wins Third Term in New York as Democrats Consolidate Control in Albany

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Cuomo Wins Third Term in New York as Democrats Consolidate Control in Albany

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Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York said in his victory speech on Tuesday, “New York is not buying what President Trump is selling. We know his type too well.”CreditCreditKarsten Moran for The New York Times

Andrew M. Cuomo was resoundingly elected to a third term as governor of New York on Tuesday, riding Democratic enthusiasm in a deep blue state to beat back his Republican challenger and capture a victory for the party’s old guard.

In defeating Marcus J. Molinaro, the Dutchess County executive, Mr. Cuomo, 60, soaked up the vast majority of votes in New York City, mirroring his success in the September primary, in which he defeated Cynthia Nixon, the actress and education advocate. The race was called by The Associated Press shortly after polls had closed at 9 p.m.

Addressing a crowd gathered at a Midtown hotel, Mr. Cuomo said that his victory symbolized the liberal ways of New York, which he called the “progressive capital” of the nation and a fortress against the policies of Donald Trump, a New Yorker himself.

“New York is not buying what President Trump is selling,” Mr. Cuomo said, his voice straining against eruptions from a boisterous crowd. “We know his type too well.”

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Mr. Cuomo voting in Mount Kisco, N.Y., on Tuesday.CreditKarsten Moran for The New York Times

With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Mr. Cuomo had about 59 percent of the vote, besting his 2014 showing.

His victory came as fellow Democrats in Albany celebrated a wave of victories in the State Senate, regaining control of that chamber for just the third time in the last 50 years, and giving the party a sweep of the executive and both legislative branches. The State Assembly also remained firmly in Democratic hands.

In winning a third term, Mr. Cuomo matched the feat of his father, Mario M. Cuomo, who served three terms from 1983 through 1994. The governor also burnished an electoral résumé that could be used to further his ample political ambition: Like his father, Mr.Cuomo has been mentioned as a possible presidential contender, though he has denied such ambitions. Still, the convincing win on Tuesday will most likely continue to fuel such speculation.

Victory did not come cheaply. Mr. Cuomo spent more than $32.5 million since January to secure his third term, vastly more than all his opponents combined. He used the money to promote a record that has included legalizing same-sex marriage, increasing the minimum wage and establishing a paid family leave program.

Those successes were more than enough to overcome two major corruption trials tied to his administration this year, as well as a crescendo of complaints about New York City’s deteriorating subways, which he oversees through his appointees on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

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Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand addressing the crowd after winning re-election.CreditKarsten Moran for The New York Times

Mr. Cuomo’s win also appeared to come with coattails: Democrats won all four statewide races, including Letitia James, the New York City public advocate who was elected state attorney general, making her the first African-American woman to hold that post.

Just before midnight, the top ranking elected Republican in the state, John J. Flanagan, conceded that his party would lose the majority in Senate, its last foothold of true power in New York.

“This election is over, but our mission is not,” said Mr. Flanagan, who serves as the Senate majority leader. “Senate Republicans will never stop advocating for the principles we believe in.”

Republicans, meanwhile, seemed likely to continue an inglorious streak, having not won a statewide race since Gov. George E. Pataki was elected to a third term in 2002. They had also lost their only member of New York City’s congressional delegation, as Max Rose, a Democrat and war veteran, defeated Rep. Dan Donovan, an incumbent Republican. Upstate was no better for the G.O.P., with two incumbents — John Faso and Claudia Tenney — seemingly going down to defeat, though Ms. Tenney’s race against Anthony Brindisi, a Democrat, remained very close.

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Marcus J. Molinaro, the Dutchess County executive, was defeated by Mr. Cuomo on Tuesday.CreditDana Ullman for The New York Times

Leaders in Albany were also celebrating the House of Representatives returning to Democratic hands.

“The people have spoken,” said Carl E. Heastie, the Bronx Democrat who serves as speaker of the Assembly. “They said that they are tired of the attacks on health care, attacks on women’s reproductive rights and they are tired of tax cuts for wealthy donors.”

In New York City, voters also approved three ballot questions that a commission created by Mayor Bill de Blasio said would enhance democracy: reducing maximum campaign contributions and increases public matching funds; creating a commission to civic and electoral participation; and placing an eight-year term limit on community board members.

The odds in New York are almost always against Republicans, as Democrats have more than a two-to-one advantage in voter registration. Mr. Molinaro seemingly had tried to woo some moderates by running a campaign that largely avoided social issues, though his past votes as a state assemblyman against same-sex marriage had been a potent source of attack for the Cuomo camp.

Mr. Molinaro, who was elected mayor of Tivoli, N.Y., at 19, had also been unable to completely shed the association with President Trump, who is very unpopular in his home state; although he did not vote for Mr. Trump in 2016, he said he could embrace some of his policies if they were helpful to New York.

Speaking to supporters in Poughkeepsie, Mr. Molinaro said he hoped that the state’s government would become more inclusive, a theme of his campaign. “I hope as a state we learn to do things differently,” he said.

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Chele Farley waiting to give her concession after losing to Ms. Gillibrand.CreditGregg Vigliotti for The New York Times

He also used old-time machine politics, gaining the backing of state’s powerful labor unions, which lent their support and resources to help quash Ms. Nixon and Mr. Molinaro.

And Mr. Cuomo gave little oxygen to Mr. Molinaro, accepting only one invitation to debate, resulting in a single fractious hourlong encounter between the two major-party candidates. (Three minor party candidates had also challenged Mr. Cuomo: Stephanie Miner, the former mayor of Syracuse; Howie Hawkins, the Green Party candidate; and Larry Sharpe, a libertarian.)

The Albany that Mr. Cuomo will return to will be different than the one he has led for nearly eight years. With the victories of a clutch of young, progressive Democrats to the State Legislature, the agenda in Albany may soon include a number of left-leaning initiatives, such as single-payer health care and the legalization of recreational marijuana. And Mr. Cuomo has said little about what he specifically wants to do during a third term, though major infrastructure projects have been a passion of his, including a new Hudson River crossing that he named for his father.

On Tuesday night, Mr. Cuomo spoke of a number of accomplishments in a speech that touched on national themes, decrying partisan division, and battering Mr. Trump, suggesting he had forgotten the words to the Pledge of Allegiance. He also returned to the idea of New York as a progressive bastion in a harsh world troubled by racism, homophobia and hurtful policies.

“Love is stronger than hate: It always has been and it always will ” he said. “And New Yorkers proved that once again tonight.”

A version of this article appears in print on , Section A, Page 27 of the New York edition with the headline: Cuomo Wins Easily, Matching His Father’s 3 Terms at the Top. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe